Hit by bribery allegations, BJP loses another Patidar leader in Gujarat

NEW DELHI: Patidar leader Nikhil Sawani on Monday said he was leaving the BJP after hearing about "the Rs 1 crore offer by the party to Narendra Patel."

"I heard about the Rs 1 crore offer by BJP to Narendra Patel. I am upset and am leaving the party today," ANI quoted Sawani as saying.

He appreciated Patel for rejecting the money that was allegedly offered, even though he "comes from a small family."

Sawani said he would now seek an appointment with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to "put forward my viewpoint."

He clarified that he "wasn't offered money to join the BJP."

"I wasn't offered money to join the BJP. Now I have resigned because they are just offering lollipop and fulfilling nothing," he alleged.

Patel had, hours after joining the BJP on Sunday, alleged that the party had tried to buy his support.

At a press conference yesterday, he had claimed that Patidar leader Varun Patel who joined the BJP on Saturday, took him to meet Gujarat BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and other leaders on Sunday.

"Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend," IANS quoted Patel as saying.

He claimed that "even if they bestow the entire RBI on me, I will not be bought over."

Patel is the North Gujarat convenor of Hardik Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).

(With inputs from agencies)